How to Choose the Right Dentist?

Visiting a dentist is daunting enough for most people, but finding the right one to visit can be an even more fearsome task. People who move into a new place, or need to find a replacement for their old dentist, find themselves swimming in choices. Finding the right dentist will directly impact just how willing you are to get regular treatments.

A good dentist would make the visit as comfortable for their patients as possible. However, finding and recognizing a good dentist isn’t easy. Here’s how you can go about it.

Finding One

Today, we have access to all kinds of information, thanks to the Internet. You can simply type in your location name and the word dentist and you’ll get hundreds, if not thousands of results. Unfortunately, this makes your task even more difficult. Here’s what you can do:

Before looking online, ask your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors for recommendations. It’s always a good idea to get personal references from a trusted source.

You should ask them for their personal experience with the dentist. Based on whether they had a good or bad experience with their dentist, you can create a shortlist.

You can also ask your family doctor or a pharmacist for recommendations.

If you’re moving to a new city or state, you can ask your current dentists for recommendations.

Look online only if the above listed methods don’t yield any results.

Determining if they’re right for you

After your research, you’ll most likely have a list of acceptable dentists. Now it’s time to narrow that list down. Call each and every dentist on your list and ask them the following questions:

How long have they been practicing dentistry?

What kind of qualifications do they have? Are they Dental Surgeons (DS), or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)?

Where were they educated?

What kind of insurance plans or companies do they accept?

How do they handle payments and do they offer payment plans?

If you’re looking for a family dentist, ask: How do they care for children and is their practice kid-friendly?

By asking these questions, you get a basic idea whether the dentist is right for you. Nevertheless, for major procedures, it’s a good idea to ask for a second opinion just to be sure. You also need to make sure that the office timing and distance is convenient for you.